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 The
1963 AFL All-Star Game
returned to Balboa Stadium
in San Diego. The coaches
were Hank Stram of the
Texans for the West and Pop
Ivy of the Oilers for the
East. The game was attended
by 27,641 fans which served
as a testimony to the
improvement of the league in
three years of existence.
Rookie Curtis McClinton of
the Texans busted a 64 yard
touchdown run on the West’s
third play from scrimmage to
put his team up 7-0. In the
second period, McClinton
again got loose, this time
for 21 yards. It set up
Dallas’ Len Dawson’s 11 yard
touchdown pass to Dave Kocourek of the Chargers.
The halftime score was 14-0.
The two potential scoring
drives the East had in the
first half were thwarted by
outstanding defense. Austin
Gonsoulin of Denver
intercepted a pass by
Houston’s George Blanda and
San Diego’s Earl Faison
recovered a fumble by
Buffalo’s Jack Kemp.
After the intermission, the
East drove to the West’s
nine yard line, but Dave
Grayson of the Texans
intercepted a Blanda pass
and returned it to midfield.
But, later in the quarter,
Blanda led the East on a 68
yard march that ended in an
8 yard touchdown pass the
the Oiler teammate, Charley
Hennigan. Still in the
third, the East tied the
score at 14 all when Larry
Grantham of the New York
Titans intercepted a Dawson
pass and returned it 29
yards to the end zone. In
the final quarter,
replacement quarterback
Frank Tripucka of the
Broncos led the West on an
89 yard touchdown drive for
the winning score. He hit
Denver teammate, Lionel
Taylor, on passes of 7, 49
and 20 yards. The last pass
good for a touchdown. The
final score was 21-14.
The defensive performances
exhibited in this game
proved to the nation that
the AFL was maturing.
McClinton was voted the
outstanding offensive player
and Faison won the defensive
honors. East fullback Cookie
Gilchrist of Buffalo said of
McClinton following the
game, “McClinton’s first
touchdown saved the game.
Other than that, it’s a
pretty tight game. That
McClinton’s going to be a
good boy. He’s big, strong
and fast.
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